Golf balls are made in a variety of constructions and compositions. Generally, a core is surrounded by a cover, with at least one intermediate layer optionally disposed there between. Examples of conventional golf ball materials range from balata to polybutadiene, ionomer resins, polyurethanes, and/or polyureas. Typically, outer layers are formed about the spherical outer surface of an inner golf ball component via compression molding, casting, or injection molding.
Golf ball manufacturers continuously experiment with constructions and material formulations in order to target and improve aerodynamic and/or inertial properties and achieve desired feel without sacrificing durability. In this regard, metallic layers/films have rarely been incorporated in golf balls despite their potential advantages such as a barrier to moisture vapor penetration into inner layers.
One challenge encountered in previous attempts to incorporate metallic layers/films in golf ball constructions relates to achieving sufficient adhesion between the metallic layer/film and an adjacent layer formed from a thermoset and/or thermoplastic material. Sufficient adhesion between adjacent layers improves impact durability and shear resistance, without which both golf ball appearance and playability commonly suffer.
Additionally, the manufacturing cost was found to be undesirably high since the already existing golf ball manufacturing framework had to be adapted to accommodate processes such as vacuum metallization, electroplating, and/or sputtering. For at least these reasons, prior use of metallics in golf balls has been largely limited to surface paints, pigments, and/or inks.
However, since metallic layers/films remain an attractive option for golf ball constructions, there is a need for golf balls wherein a metallic layer/film may be incorporated about and between any of the core, intermediate layers and cover layers—without the aforementioned adhesion problems, and within existing golf ball manufacturing processes such as chain-on-edge applications. The present inventive golf ball and methods of making same address and solve this need.